Chapter 4
Sophia headed home after a long day at work, not helped at all by the hangover she had fought most of the day and still lingered. After finally make it home to her condo, she felt relieved pressing the elevator button for the 27th floor and watching the elevator doors start to close. To her surprise, and with deft athleticism, Adam squeezed through the closing doors. “Hey, Sophia,” Adam said.
Adam looked spiffy as usual, and smelled like he had just been the barber. Despite her head ache, Sophia couldn’t help but smile. It was nice to see Adam. She felt her cheeks warm just being near him. She once again noticed his athletic bod. Memories of her crazy drunken fantasy about him and Blake the night before made her flush even more. If he only knew what she had dreamed about and had done the night before while thinking of him and Blake!
“How are you?” she inquired. For some perverse reason she took pride in being able to maintain a sense of outward normality while thoughts of that purple vibe and the two brothers passed through her mind!
“Great, you?” He glanced at her, looked her up and down to admire her beauty, and then seemed concerned. “Are you OK? You seem a little…tense.”
“Oh, fine.” She let all of her breath out in a great burst. “Just a really long and trying day.”
“That’s no good. You are too beautiful to frown.” He grinned as she began to genuinely smile, flustered by his compliment. “Anything I can do to cheer you up?”
“Oh, no, I’m fine,” she said. “I’ll just draw a bath and pour myself some wine. I’ll make myself cheer up.” Meanwhile, the little voice in her head had other ideas. A sudden image of him aggressively taking her in the elevator at that moment flooded her mind and she had to fight to repress it. Now was not the time for dirty fantasies!
“How about we go out tonight for dinner? I can make a reservation at a great place and really cheer you up.” She agreed without thinking, and got off on their floor, numb with shock at the invite and her quick acceptance. Adam turned towards his suite and called after her, “I’ll pick you up at eight.”
In the safety of her apartment, Sophia poured herself a generous glass of Merlot and then ran a hot bath, pouring an extra helping of bubble bath into the steaming water. Relaxing beneath the bubbles, holding the wineglass by the stem between her thumb and forefinger, it hit her that she was about to go on a date with Adam Franklin. Adam Franklin! This man was a New York celebrity. He dated New York Fashion Week models. How could she possibly impress him?
Sophia enjoyed the relaxation of her bath until the water cooled. She then spent the next hour or so putting a tremendous effort into her makeup and hair. She picked a tight red evening dress that was sure to turn more than a few heads. The doorbell rang, and with a deep breath, Sophia steeled herself and opened the door.
Adam looked extraordinary in his dark business suit and tie. He handed her a single red rose and she gasped. It had been years since she had even gotten flowers! She scrambled to find a vase. Then they went downstairs to a waiting limo.
The restaurant he had chosen was Chez Balzac, a fancy new French place in Chelsea. As they ordered their wine, he smiled at her over the top of his menu. “Feeling better?” he asked.
She nodded demurely. “I feel so much better.” She fingered her pearl necklace, one of the few pieces she had kept that Tony had given her.
“I have to say, you look stunning. You have wowed me since I first laid eyes on you. No offense, but Tony was a fool to give up a beautiful woman like you.”
Sophia blushed. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. Honestly, it makes me feel better. I’ve been holding it together, but my divorce has taken its toll on me.”
“Do you mind me asking what happened?”
Sophia sighed, then leaned forward. “You two were neighbors. I’m sure you have an idea. Maybe you saw his girlfriend? She was staying there with him. She was a stripper.”
Adam was a skilled businessman and obviously a good actor. He kept his composure and pretended to have no idea what she was talking about. “I mean, there are a lot of people in that building. Maybe I did see her, but….”
“Don’t take me for a fool. I know all about his flings. Most of them took place in that apartment. I especially know about Veronica. Maybe my mom was right….”
“What?”
“Well.” Sophia rolled her eyes. “My mother thinks I took the penthouse to get back at him. And in a way, she’s right. I know he had all of his affairs there. He’d charm them with the fancy TV and the view of the city. I know that Veronica lost her apartment, that he let her stay there, and that spent every night he was working in the city with her. He’d call me and say he was working late, but really he was there with her. I even know about all the money he spent on her and the diamond necklace he bought her. It was all there on the bank statements. He wasn’t good at hiding anything. So, anyway, that penthouse sometimes feels like the scene of the crime, like a slap in the face. In a way, the penthouse is what destroyed my marriage. So, it feels like I’m taking myself back by living there. Like I’m rubbing it in his face. I know it makes him uncomfortable. He gave me the place, no contest. So, I took it just to…you know.”
Adam nodded. “I can understand where you are coming from. I’d probably do the same. You have every right to be angry.”
“Thank you.” She was surprised that finally someone understood her side of things. After fighting with her mother about what seemed like such an obvious decision to make, it was nice to not have some support,… especially from Adam.
“Well, he was a fool, that’s all I can say. None of the women he cheated with could possibly even compare to you.”
“Really?” She looked at him hopefully.
“Well, I don’t know personally. I just imagined. I mean, you are absolutely amazing.”
Sophia beamed. “Well, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I imagine you have dated many women finer than me, though,” she added. “I read about your affair with that model, Esmee Blanc.”
“Pff. What they don’t tell you is those models are all illusions, layers of makeup and lighting. They’re not that pretty in real life. And they’re way too thin.” He suddenly looked forlorn. “Honestly, I’m tired of that life. I’m tired of the charade. I’m looking for a real woman, a woman I can be myself around. A woman who isn’t all high maintenance. I don’t want some starry fling with cameras on us all of the time. I want something real, something simple…something normal.”
“High maintenance?” She laughed. “Well I guess I’m not high maintenance, but I’m not low-maintenance either, that’s for sure.” She did not want to give him the idea that she was some cheap fling he could dazzle with just a few dinners.
“Well, I guess I used the wrong term. But see, most of the women I’ve dated have had life handed to them. They’re spoiled. They’re bitchy. They expect everything to be given to them. They only care about the superficial, about how they look and how everyone else looks, and what designer everyone is wearing. They don’t value people for who they really are. It’s all just for show. And they are certainly no fun to talk to. They just constantly drop names and trash talk people for how they look. There’s no depth there. And the drama, oh the drama. Dating celebrity models is all just catty jealousy and being over the top drama queens.
I’m not saying that you aren’t beautiful. Hell, you could be a model, but, well, you have had a real life. You have gone to school. You have a real job. Pay your own bills. You have an interesting back story and a lot of thoughts and even a background that is way different from mine. When we talk, there’s depth. That’s very attractive.”
“Really?” She giggled, unable to imagine how being ordinary could be interesting to anyone, especially someone as dazzling as the man sitting across from her. But what he said made sense, and showed her another side to a celebrity world that she had never even caught a glimpse into.
“Really.” He seemed totally sincere.
Dinner proceeded nicely after that. More comfortable and secure, Sophia started to really open up and enjoy her time with Adam. After desert, he took her over the Manhattan Bridge to see the city lights. They leaned back in the limousine, both a little wine drunk, as they observed the lights. His chauffeur navigated traffic expertly and the ride was so smooth. As smooth as Adam’s hand as he began to stroke her thigh.
Sophia didn’t object. She reached her hand behind his neck and pulled him toward her for a kiss. They touched lips. His tongue brushed against hers. She felt giddy with desire, and really just wanted to jump on top and straddle him, but forced herself to maintain her composure. Still, they snuggled and made out the entire way back to their building.
“Do you want to come up?” he asked as they groped each other and kissed passionately in the elevator.
Sophia suddenly felt overwhelmed. She had never been with another man besides Tony. This freaked her out completely. “I – I need to think,” she managed as she pulled away from him, straightening her clothes. The idea of going to his place also made her nervous because then she might run into Blake. Her dirty fantasy from the night before still lingered.
“That’s fine,” Adam said kindly. “I understand.” He held the elevator door open for her, walked her to her door and gave her one last goodnight kiss before she went into her place and softly shut the door behind her.
All day at work the next day, Sophia could not stop thinking about her amazing evening with Adam. To clear her cluttered mind after work, Sophia donned some active wear and went for a jog in Central Park. She had never done that before and it made her feel alive as she joined hundreds of other joggers. It felt like a scene from a movie as she ran through the crisp air, flushing up pigeons and passing others dressed like her with their headphones in and knots of concentration on their foreheads. The Park was stunningly beautiful as the sun started to descend over the trees. The peace of the park felt nice after being in the inner city all day, walled in by huge buildings and streams of traffic.
As she rounded a bend in the path, she felt someone fall into place alongside her. She popped out her earphone and glanced sideways, wondering why she hadn’t brought Mace with her. Maybe her mother had induced paranoia in her, but her heart started beating a bit faster. Was she safe jogging at this hour? Was she about to be mugged, or worse? It had certainly happened in the Park before. Her mother had fed her plenty of horror stories about living in the city.
But then she took a second look and gasped with releif. It was Blake Franklin jogging alongside her! He looked sleek in his jogging gear, with his hair gelled back. Blake shot her a huge grin, as she took out her other earphone.
“Wow, small world. There are millions of people in this city and guess who I run into? My stunning new neighbor!” he teased.
“Are you stalking me?” Sophia joked.
“I am not. But if I were to stalk anyone, it would be you.” Blake seemed more confident in flirting with her without his brother around.
“You’re incorrigible,” she told him with a humorous laugh. It felt good to be flirted with so fiercely. Tony was always so reserved with his affection. She liked feeling wanted and admired.
“Well, I must admit, I’m pretty beat. I had a long day at work and I’ve jogged this track twice. Would you like to go grab some coffee?” Blake asked
Sophia agreed. They crossed the street to a little coffeehouse that Blake swore by. “It’s a great place to grab a bite after a workout,” he told her.
“You don’t look like you load up on too many calories.” Sophia didn’t bother to hide it as she looked up and down his body, admiring his perfect physique through his tight jogging shirt. Not only was he slim, but his muscles were also incredibly finely toned, adding sleekness rather than bulk to his frame. Then it all ended up in a mop of red hair and a faint touch of a red beard. And those eyes! She had only been with one man, Tony. Sophia briefly wondered what Blake would look like naked and if he was different in bed from what she was used to with Tony….
“Sophia?” Blake peered at her, his cheeks turning red as he realized she was checking him out. It was their turn at the counter.
“Oh! Um, I don’t drink coffee much. What should I order?” She squinted at the board, loaded with fancy Italian names that meant nothing to her.
“I usually get an almond milk latte. I think you’d like it. You can add a syrup if you want it to be sweet,” he suggested.
She took him up on his suggestion and got a plain latte. They collected their hot drinks and took a seat near the window. Joggers and shoppers streamed past.
“This place is nice.” Sophia glanced around, taking in the funky coffeehouse vibe.
“My favorite.” Blake leaned back in his seat. “So. How are you enjoying the single life so far?”
“This would be one of my first dates,” she admitted. Then she glanced up at him, embarrassed by her own indiscretion. “That is, if you count this as a date.”
“Hey this is nice, Sophia. But I would rather take you out on a real date. To dinner, with wine and dessert and dancing after.”
“Dancing, huh?” Sophia felt herself warm up to him even more. She was a Latina and loved to dance!
“Do you like salsa?” he asked.
Tony and Sophia used to go salsa dancing every weekend early in their relationship. It was their thing. “I haven’t been in years,” she cried. “I’d love to….do you know how to salsa?” She took him in, surprised that this white boy might be able to dance.
He shrugged humbly. “I try. Maybe you can teach me a few moves.”
“I’m sure I could,” she winked.
The coffee date continued, full of playful bantering and flirting. Then Blake hailed a cab and paid for the ride home. As they sat very close in the back, Sophia recalled the night before and felt somewhat guilty. Surely Blake didn’t know that she had been out with Adam the night before. If he knew, he wouldn’t be so flirty, right? Then she wondered if she should tell him. It seemed that things were heading in a sensual direction, especially as he put his arm around her shoulder and started to pull her tighter as they got closer to their building. This seemed wrong…yet right too.
“Do you want to come over for a bit?” he asked.
She decided that it would be best if she declined. Who knew if Adam was home? “Maybe after we go salsa dancing,” she offered.
Blake grinned. “Deal!” Then he softened his voice as he pressed the button on the elevator. “Look, Adam told me about last night. I just wanted you to know so you don’t worry about it.”
Sophia’s heart sank. She searched his blue, blue eyes for a clue about how he felt.
“I really like you. So does Adam. So I don’t want to make you feel like you’re in a bad spot. We both understand that it’s up to you what you want to do, and we are OK with that.”
She nodded slowly. “I’m new to this whole dating game,” she finally said. “So I don’t know quite how to handle this.”
“You’re not used to two brothers going after you?” Blake asked with a little laugh.
She shook her head vehemently. “That too,” she said with a laugh. “But this is entirely new… I have never even really dated before! I just dated my husband.”
“Well, there is no pressure. I understand if you like Adam more. But just let me take you out dancing. Let me show you what I’m made of.”
“Then I can choose,” Sophia laughed. But inside, she was not so sure.